If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you will know that my boyfriend and I recently took a trip to Bristol. Our short city break was jam-packed with exploring the city centre, eating some amazing food and soaking up the atmosphere in the gorgeous Georgian neighbourhood of Clifton. Despite the wet and windy weather, we had a wonderful weekend, which just so happened to correspond with his birthday – so it was celebrations all round!
On our first night we stopped for dinner at Riverstation, a restaurant that has been serving modern British food since 1997 in the old River Police Station building overlooking the harbour. We arrived just after 7pm and were quickly shown to our seats. It’s worth noting that despite being a Thursday evening the restaurant was very lively, so if you do want to pay them a visit I definitely recommend booking a table.
Tilly, our waitress for the night, offered us a large selection of freshly baked breads to start – which I thought was a nice touch. I went for a classic white salt focaccia whilst Bobby was a little braver with his choice of onion, rosemary and potato bread. Both were equally delicious! The menu isn’t huge – often a sign of higher quality food, but it still took us ages to decide what to order because everything sounded amazing! You can take a look at the menu yourself here.
To start I chose the roasted artichoke with fennel, sprouting broccoli, ewe’s curd and toasted almonds. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten artichoke in a restaurant before and so was unsure of what to expect but paired with fennel, the flavours were incredible.
Bobby went for the char-grilled chicken and asparagus salad, served with vegetable crisps and herb oil.
Choosing a main was a little easier as I couldn’t look past the duck and Bobby had his heart set on steak and chips.
Riverstation has a lovely outdoor decking which I had hoped to enjoy in the summer sunshine. Sadly the British weather had other plans and it absolutely poured it down. Luckily, the restaurant is beautiful in its own right, and we still enjoyed the view whilst sipping on a G&T.
Things got even better when the mains arrived. The duck was perfectly cooked, juicy, tender and full of flavour. Served with vegetable tian, beetroot chutney, feta and a red wine jus, the flavours were just heavenly. Although we weren’t blown away with the presentation of the steak and chips, the taste was absolutely unbelievable. Perfectly cooked steak complimented by a bearnaise sauce and ‘the best chips I’ve ever eaten’. You heard it here first.
I can’t end this review without talking about dessert. After the food we’d had I was pretty full but the poached pear was just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. Warmly spiced and served with a scoop of bay leaf ice cream. Bay leaf! Ice cream! Why can’t I buy tubs of this stuff!
If you’re after high quality, excellently cooked food with an amazing view of the harbour, then definitely head to the Riverstation. I’m willing to bet that you won’t find much better for around £36 a head (three courses without drinks), especially not in the city centre. I’ve found my Bristol city centre favourite for sure.
Have you ever been to Bristol? Where’s your favourite place to eat?
Jasmin x
*Disclaimer: I was offered a complimentary meal in exchange for a review but as always, it’s 100% my honest opinion*
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